Former Vice President and flagbearer aspirant of the New Patriotic Party, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia has rendered an unqualified apology to Ghanaians for the way they led and governed the country.
The former vice president was speaking to some party faithful in the Ashanti Region as part of his regional tour of uniting and re-energizing the base of the party.
Dr Bawumia, who did not exempt himself from the mistakes of the previous government, pleaded for forgiveness on behalf of all those who were part of the erstwhile Akufo-Addo-led government.
“After the 2024 elections, we have done our research. We know the NPP government and the party made a lot of mistakes in governance. There were things we needed to do which we didn’t, and others we did that, if we had had the benefit of background, we would not have done them,” he said.
He stressed that the blame was not his alone but a collective responsibility of the party’s leadership. “We are all to be blamed – Vice President, Ministers, MPs, Board Chairmen, appointees. We have all made mistakes and please forgive us. We’re sorry. We have learned our lessons,” he added.
Dr. Bawumia assured delegates that, if given the mandate as flagbearer and subsequently elected President, he would ensure that the past would not be repeated.
“If, by the grace of God, you make me the flagbearer and I become the President, these will not happen again. They will not happen again,” he pledged.
The previous Akufo-Addo government, of which Dr Bawumia was Vice President, saw the country descend to an extreme economic crisis, driving many Ghanaians into economic hardship.
Inflation went as high as 50% while the major foreign trading currency, the US dollar, reached as high as GHS 17 against the Ghanaian Cedi. Being a net importer of almost everything, prices were benchmarked against the soaring dollar, bringing untold hardship to many Ghanaians. The government at the time ran to the IMF for liquid support to alleviate the hardship after the economy was junk-rated by many global rating agencies, with many investors pulling out. The government had to restructure both domestic and external debts under the infamous Domestic Debt Exchange Program (DDEP) in order to secure a deal from the IMF.
Additionally, illegal mining had reached its crescendo, and popular galamsey activities were fast decimating major water bodies, threatening the livelihood of all Ghanaians.
Away from that, there was also a power crisis. In the midst of these, many politicians, according to Ghanaians, were nonchalant and displayed extreme arrogance of power. This, per research, drove a lot of Ghanaians to vote against the government, which Dr Bawumia led.